After being out of the rotation for a long time, Seth Lugo finally got his chance as a starting pitcher last year and showed he is capable in the role.
The former Mets pitcher started three games this season and had an even better showing with a 1.45 ERA for the Royals, who started their third straight game Friday at Citi Field.
But Lugo doesn’t blame the Mets for keeping him in the bullpen after pushing to return him to the starting lineup.
Lugo primarily served as the Mets’ starting pitcher in 2017, but had a sluggish ERA of 4.71.
Plus, he’s established himself as a valuable setup piece in the bullpen, so why would the Mets need to move him so quickly?
“There are question marks,” Lugo said before the Royals’ 6-1 loss to the Mets on Friday. “It makes sense because he was new and he didn’t know what he was capable of.”
Lugo left as a free agent after the 2022 season and signed with the Padres, who gave him a chance to start.
The right-handed pitcher started 26 games with the club and posted a 3.57 ERA, but later terminated his contract.
The Mets were one of the teams he called up last winter, and he had a starting role in mind this time around, but by that point Lugo was already deep in negotiations with the Royals, who offered him a two-year contract. He signed a contract worth $30 million a year. Player option for 2026.
Lugo, 34, was drafted by the Mets in 2011 and spent 12 seasons with them.
Although he was a starter in the minor leagues, he spent most of his major league career with the Mets in the bullpen.
“If I hadn’t been a relief pitcher for so long, if I hadn’t gone through what I’ve been through, I don’t think I would be where I am today as a pitcher,” Lugo said. “I think a lot of the situations I’ve been in, pitching in the pen, dealing with adversity and things like that, have shaped me into the person I am today.
“I’ve talked to some guys who have gone back and forth between being starters and relievers and want to start. I say, ‘The thing that really helped me as a starter was the game’s It was about learning how to get big outs towards the end and understanding myself.” If the journey had been different, I don’t think I would be here. ”
Lugo, who does not plan to pitch in the series, said he is excited about the situation he finds himself in with an up-and-coming Royals team that entered the game with a 9-4 record.
It’s a group that includes young talent like Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, and Michael Garcia.
“We have some other veterans, but it’s really fun to watch the young guys play,” Lugo said.
